That snarky reference to a favorite movie of mine perfectly illustrated why we made such a great team. ((Agreed that this isn’t an illusion, but if this isn’t Kansas, just where in the hell are we?))
I also had another question: How under the Eternal Skies do we get back home? But I figured I’d save the scariest one for after we answered the first. I was already freaking out enough for several witches. No need to send my familiar over the edge, too.
Pixie’s snark reasserted itself. ((I’d say we’re at the Maze of Artemis.))
I rolled my eyes and tugged her tail gently. ((No shit, Sherlock, but what does that mean exactly? Are we still in Artemis House? Hell, are we even still in the Gloaming? And did the Moon Mother really summon us here?))
She hissed once to warn me off tugging on her tail again, however gently. Being no idiot, I moved my hand to caress the silky fur on her back instead. ((My senses say that we are both still in the Gloaming and not. And yes, I do believe it was Artemis who summoned us here.))
My lips pursed as I considered her words. ((How can someone be both in the Gloaming and not? That doesn’t even make sense. You either are somewhere or you’re not.))
That disembodied voice spoke again, this time sounding nothing like my own and yet...somehow I knew it was the same voice. It echoed with a deep, resonant tone that inspired gooseflesh along my body. “This is a Sacred Place, one of those ancient locations dedicated to a specific deity that exists both within every single realm and yet apart from them all.”
The sheer power in the voice vibrated in the air around me. My knees trembled so violently I nearly fell to the grassy ground. It was the same voice from my dream.
The trembling in my knees spread throughout my body. Although most witches believed in the deities—channeling the magic they’d gifted us, how could we not?—but never had I been directly contacted by one. At least, not that I was aware of.
Amusement echoed in the air. “Never have I contacted you directly before this evening, daughter of my slain Storm Arrow, but watch over you these past 18 years I have done. Both you and your sister. Even now, others of my servants are working to keep you safe while you gain the skills you need to help protect yourselves. But so do the servants of my archenemy work against me. And when the spell fueling the beating of your false hearts fades...They will seek once more to murder you both. It is far too soon to allow that to happen. You would die.”
Realization struck and this time I did fall to my knees as awe overcame me. Artemis’s priestesses were known as Arrows, and She had evidently been the patron deity of my murdered mother back when she had served as the Witch Queen. Meaning that the patron deity of the throne’s current usurper must be the archenemy Artemis mentioned.
“Exactly so. Hera is the ultimate architect behind your mother’s murder. She has managed to obfuscate many things from me, but I have likewise helped hide several truths from Her. Chief of which being the continued survival of you and your sister. I will not let all my hard work over the past decades be for naught.”
The continued evidence that she could pluck the thoughts from my brain as if I’d spoken aloud (not really so shocking considering She was a divine being) encouraged me to keep my mind carefully blank as I composed myself. Only then did I speak out loud. Not because She needed it, but because it helped soothe my own uneasiness.
I had to lick my lips several times before I finally managed to speak. “I—Misty and I are grateful for your efforts on our behalf, Divine One.”
Affection washed over me, along with another burst of amusement. “No need for such formality. Please call me what all my Arrows do. Moon Mother, or merely Mother, will do.”
That had my breath picking up speed along with my skittering pulse. “You—you claim me as one of your Arrows?”
“I do. You and your sister have been mine since before your births. Just as your mother and her foremothers back in an unbroken line for many centuries. Our archenemy sought to destroy that bloodline 18 years ago, but She failed. Now we must work to undo the terrible damage She did not fail to cause.”
My body began trembling again as the weight of her words settled upon me. Few witches were called to serve Artemis as one of her Arrows. Still fewer were called to serve as one of her Storm Arrows. Those priestesses (priests were rare but not unheard of) who were the most skilled of magic, fierce of heart, and strong of loyalty joined that elite number. Hearing that my mother had been so honored inspired a deep sense of pride.
“I—I would be honored to serve. And I’m sure Misty will be as well.”
“Those who would be confirmed as my Arrows must pass several trials to prove their worth. These will test your courage, magical talent, and strength of character. Beware, for you can be harmed or even killed during these challenges. The first of them stands directly before you. Pass through my Maze to claim the first Mark of Artemis. This will grant you a magical boon that will be vitally important in your survival over the coming months and allow me to delay the failure of the beating heart spell. It is also the only way back to the Academy. Do not fail me, daughter of my favored Storm Arrow.”
That voice boomed the last sentence in an achingly powerful tone before fading, leaving behind only the noises typical of any forest like the one spread before me. I slowly pushed to my feet, heart still pounding as I surveyed the various pathways leading into different parts of the tangled forest teasing me with small glimpses. In the Greek pantheon, Artemis ruled over the wild creatures, the forest, and the hunt in addition to being a moon goddess.
That thought no sooner occurred to me than I became aware that a full, blood-red moon had joined the countless constellations in the sky. Goosebumps broke out along my flesh, and Pixie let out her first meow since Artemis had spoken. An unusually subdued meow coming from her. I reached up to stroke her fur to comfort us both.
“Yeah, you were definitely right that we are not in Kansas anymore. Now I guess we follow the Yellow Brick Road to get back home. Here’s hoping we land our figurative house on any wicked witches lurking in the woods and not the other way around…”
* * *
For several tense moments, I stared at each of the six pathways, trying to figure out whether there was a rhyme or reason to how they were laid out. Each circle of trees consisted of a wide variety; some evergreen and some deciduous; some slender youths and others ancient behemoths; some showing the first blush of spring, some blooming with the heart of summer, and others bearing the barren marks of winter. In other words, none of the paths appeared to have any patterns that might clue me in on which to choose.
Pixie regained enough equilibrium to embrace her Inner Snark. ((We just gonna stand here all night?))
((There would be worse spots to sleep under the stars.))
At which point, of flipping course, all of the stars suddenly winked out of existence. Leaving only that creepy Blood Moon shining down upon us.
Shivers swept across me, and I shook my head. ((Apparently the Moon Mother doesn’t approve of how long I’m taking to figure out which path to take, either.))
Pixie’s mental voice sounded less judgy and more pensive this time. ((I don’t think it actually matters which path you choose. Just how you handle whatever you find once you do.))
I couldn’t fault the logic in her statement. It sounded just like something mortals could expect from a divine challenge. Plus I didn’t have any better ideas.
“All righty then, here goes nothing.”
Shutting my eyes, I spun myself in a circle for a few seconds and then began chanting a favorite choosing song my sister and I had loved as children. “Bibbidy, bobbidy, bibbidy, boo, Underneath the Mother’s Moon I. Choose. You!”
My eyes whipped open and I locked my gaze onto the path where my finger now pointed. The one in the exact center. Likely the path that would lead into the thickest part of the dark and gloomy enchanted forest. Before I could completely freak myself out again, Pixie dug her claws into my shoulder and butted her
head against mine. ((Quit stalling, Crys. You got this! After all, I’m by your side.))
One good thing about the stereotypical arrogance that every familiar possessed. You couldn’t keep their spirits down long. Came in handy when a witch’s own spirits were down in the drain.
Pixie’s prodding plus my own common sense had me setting off along that central path with a determined stride. Artemis wouldn’t have brought me to face this maze if She didn’t think I could successfully navigate it. And my sister and I couldn’t afford for our false hearts to stop beating until we’d at least learned how to cast Infernal magic. Besides which, Artemis had pointed out this was the only way back to the Academy.
I kept myself completely alert as I studied the surrounding forest. The sound of nocturnal animals had tripled at the same time the evening breezes had softened significantly, thanks to the dense forestland that sheltered us.
We only made it a few steps into the woods before my vision became too poor to see anything more than a few inches away. A combination of the stars having winked out of existence plus the sheer density of trees blocking what little light managed to filter down from that red moon. Thankfully, a conscious witch was never far from her own light source, especially when accompanied by a familiar.
My hair floated around my face momentarily as I siphoned a smidge of magic through my bond with Pixie—and thus her link to the Eternal realm—and summoned a sizable ball of teal witchlight. I murmured the words of a simple charm to affix the ball a few feet above my head, where it would float as I moved until I either banished it or ran out of juice. Something that would take a hell of a lot of magic thanks to my familiar’s presence. If whatever challenges we faced in these woods required more than the amount Pixie had stored, we would be in more trouble than we could handle alone.
Not that I thought Artemis would set us up for failure like that. But that also assumed that her enemy had no way to interfere in this challenge.
And thinking that dark thought was a huge mistake. It had my mood plummeting and my body spooking at every new noise that broke the air around me. Not even the comforting weight of Pixie on my shoulder could settle my reignited worries. Which actually turned out to be a good thing considering I was hyper alert when a snarling wolf leaped out of the trees and soared straight toward me.
Years of instinct from self-defense classes at GHS and extracurricular training from my father and brother kicked in. My arms shot up in the air as I chanted a much more complex charm that sucked in an amount of air equal to the size of the giant beast hurling at me and funneled it into a shimmering shield in front of my body. Brilliant shards of teal energy danced through the shield, providing a visual reminder of my link to Pixie in such a visceral way that fear suddenly vanished. She and I had trained for years to protect ourselves. We could do this. We would do this.
The wolf slammed into my shield with a sickening thud. The impact had the beast yipping a high-pitched cry of pain that would have made me wince in sympathy were it not for its extremely sharp teeth that I now noticed dripped with blood. The blood of some less successful Arrow candidate, no doubt!
The pain only momentarily phased the wolf. It shook its head, flinging flecks of blood every which way, and then advanced upon me again. My shield had cracked but not shattered when it hit. I expected the wolf to shy away once it saw the teal energy still glittering along the shield, but either it was a magical projection incapable of intelligence or it just didn’t care.
“Shit!” I muttered as it slammed itself against the shield, causing a smaller impact since it jumped from a much closer distance, but that didn’t matter in light of the fact the damned beast kept launching itself against the shield. It shuddered with each impact, cracking just a tiny bit more, until it gave away with a sudden loud crack that rent the air.
Both wolf and I were flung in opposite directions thanks to good old physics, but considering that I landed flat on my ass while it landed on all four feet, that was not a good thing. It sprang into the air one more time, and I wasn’t sure whether I could fashion a strong enough shield fast enough.
Pixie had wisely flung herself onto a nearby tree limb the moment she sensed the shield cracking. A common battle tactic, since we would be sitting ducks in the event both witch and familiar were knocked unconscious by a physical attack. ((Roll, you idiot!))
Her internally shrieked words had the desired effect, borne of countless hours of battle training, and I rolled along the uneven forest floor as swiftly as I could. The wolf whistled by with mere inches to spare. Flecks of blood and wolf slobber splashed upon my bare arm and face, making me gag. But at least neither teeth nor claws pierced my flesh.
I immediately bounced to my feet and siphoned magic again. The wolf landed even more gracefully this time and whirled to pelt in my direction. Since a defensive spell hadn’t worked, I knew I had to make the next one more deadly. Even if it would hurt my heart to harm an innocent animal. Okay. Maybe not so innocent, in light of the blood dripping from its snarling mouth. Man, I really hope this isn’t an actual living creature.
Considering that wolves were sacred to Artemis, my attack of conscience was likely unnecessary. And considering that I rather liked my body the way it was, the point was moot. The magical world was too often a kill-or-be-killed kind of place.
Calmness flowed through me as I shoved all irrelevant thoughts away. Magic responded to my will, setting my hair whipping. Eternal energy was often considered the brighter magic—most associated with life and growing things. But life and magic were all about balance. And to every bright thing there was a darkness.
I tapped into that darker side of the Eternal, fashioning magic into a brilliant teal witchlight that was the antithesis of the ball illuminating the area overhead. This ball would not merely give off light and energy. Instead, it would consume all light and energy from whatever target it hit. That energy would then be transferred through my body and into Pixie’s magical stores. If I managed to aim correctly, my target had no defenses of its own, and I held the spell long enough, that target would die.
All this transpired in the seconds it took the wolf to cross the distance between our landing places and hurl itself into the air one more time. I flung both arms out, sending the deathsphere hurtling toward the wolf. The orb exploded against the beast in a blaze of teal sparks interspersed with darker spikes of ebony. Concussive sound rent the air, and the gleaming orb began to grow as it absorbed the wolf’s life force. I winced at the clear sign it was a living creature rather than magical construct and braced myself for its death once the orb absorbed the last of its life.
Only that never happened. Instead, Artemis’s disembodied voice called out, “Well done, daughter. Now move on to your second challenge!”
Both wolf and orb vanished, leaving me to pant for a moment as I recovered from the exertion of powerful spells cast in such quick succession. I could have replenished my own energy using Pixie’s magical stores, but I wanted to save every drop possible. No telling what our next challenge would be—or how many we’d face after that.
((Three total,)) Pixie suddenly said with complete certainty.
I took a few more deep breaths and tilted my head. ((How do you know that?))
((Because every divine challenge comes in threes. And Artemis said it herself. This test will measure your courage, magical talent, and strength of character. I’d say that last one tested magical talent.))
Her words made perfect sense. I clicked my tongue against the bottom of my mouth thoughtfully. ((Leaving courage and strength of character still to come.))
((Exactly. Now let’s get this over with. I have a date with a late-night snack and the best spot on your bed once we ace this test. Just like every other one ever.))
A smile split my lips at her admittedly justified arrogance. Pixie and I hadn’t just set the curve at GHS; we’d broken it.
((Hop on up then, my liege.))
She poofed from the tree limb across the way directly
onto my shoulder. Instead of kneading my skin to punish my moment of snark, she began licking a spot between my shoulder and neck.
((Mmm, this blood tastes divine. Like literally.)) She let out an internal giggle that sounded more like something Misty’s more easy-going familiar would do.
“Ewwww!” I shrieked when I realized she must have just licked off some of the blood droplets the wolf had flung. “I can’t believe you just licked some unknown person’s blood off my neck. What is wrong with you?”
That outburst did earn her claws digging into my shoulder. ((Quit your bellyaching, Princess. Familiars are apex predators; you know that. Besides, the blood didn’t come from a person. I suspect that was one of Artemis’s Storm Wolves, and it tangled with another before meeting up with us.))
That had me torn between relief that I’d tossed a deathsphere at point blank range into its face (the divine wolves were just as immortal as their mistress) and awe that Pixie and I had been strong enough to defeat the sacred being.
Good thing I didn’t know what it was ahead of time. I would have flunked the courage test for sure!
((Go ahead and recharge your own battery,)) Pixie urged as I began walking along another randomly selected path branching off from where we’d been attacked. ((Those few drops of blood I just enjoyed replenished every drop of magic you spent and then some. I think I may even be a little buzzed right now.))
That certainly explained the uncharacteristic giggling just now. Still, my brow furrowed in doubt. If she were drunk, could her judgment be trusted?
((I said buzzed, not drunk. And yes, my judgment is perfectly fine!))
“That’s what all the drunks say just before they make phenomenally bad decisions. Like drinking and driving,” I muttered, tapping into her magical reserves before she could take stronger persuasive measures.
She must have been a little buzzed, because she let that comment slide without getting in any digs (figurative or literal) of her own.
A Witch’s Beating Heart Page 15
